The Turbulent Waters for Brian Cashman...

 

Brian Cashman (Photo Credit: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

Long-serving GM has passed his expiration date…

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has had a nice run. He has been senior vice president and general manager of the greatest team in Major League Baseball since February 1998. Although he was not the architect of Dynasty Championship Teams of the late 1990s, he was seated in the General Manager’s seat when the Yankees won 114 games (125 games if you count the playoffs) to win the 1998 World Series against the San Diego Padres in a convincing four-game sweep. Given his long tenure with the Yankees and four World Series championships under his belt (even if he was the beneficiary of Gene Michael’s work for the first three and Hal Steinbrenner’s money for the fourth), Brian Cashman will one day find his way to Cooperstown. 

It is time for Cashman to find a new job. 

Of course, the truth is he will be secure for the next four years after signing an extension in December. It seems improbable that Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner would sever ties with his father’s pick for the general manager’s chair. Hal cannot even bring himself to alter his father’s outdated facial hair policy. I am sure ‘daddy issues’ run strongly in the Steinbrenner family.

Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner (Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters)

The game of Baseball has changed significantly since Cashman ascended to the GM’s throne. I do not dispute Cashman’s ability to work internally and externally with people to create trust and rapport. It is always a joke among the fanbase that Cashman wants to prove himself to be the smartest guy in the room. The only problem is, he is not. Younger, smarter general managers are starting to run circles around Cashman. You wonder what an elite front office like the Tampa Bay Rays have, could do if they had the financial resources of the New York Yankees. It has taken some time, but Ben Cherington is winning in Pittsburgh because of smart decisions. Not sustainable but that is not the point. 

Looking back over the Yankees’ significant trades since the infamous Sanchez/Urshela for Donaldson/IKF/Rortvedt deal in March 2022 is discouraging. They say that sometimes the best deals are the deals never made. In Cashman’s case, he went ahead and made those deals anyway.

March 13, 2022

In a surprising move, particularly after the Yankees had tendered Gary Sanchez a 2022 contract before the December 2021 lockout, the Yankees sent Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela to the Minnesota Twins for aging third baseman Josh Donaldson (and his fat contract), infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (I refuse to say shortstop because he is not one), and the invisible catcher Ben Rortvedt. 

Sure, Sanchez was an addition by subtraction, but the Yankees would have been better off simply non-tendering Sanchez the previous December and retaining Urshela. There were better options for shortstop than IKF, like actual shortstops which included a few elite ones. Rortvedt’s injuries led to one of the few good trades Cashman has completed in the last year. 

March 18, 2022

Bumped from first base by Anthony Rizzo, Luke Voit was a man without a position. I cannot fault Cashman for moving Voit to San Diego for a lower-level prospect, Justin Lange.  I always liked Voit’s football mentality playing baseball, and his home runs in 2020 were nice. But man, Voit with a glove was a precarious situation. There was simply no room on the roster for a DH-only type of player.

Lange, 21, a right-handed pitcher, is currently assigned to the Tampa Tarpons (Single-A).

Voit is with his third organization since leaving the Yankees. He signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in February, and he is currently on their Major League roster although his production has been underwhelming. Voit had to go so it does not really matter if the Yankees ever get any results from Lange.

Hard to fault Cashman for this one. 

April 2, 2022

Cashman scored a win when he sent RHP Albert Abreu and LHP Robert Ahlstrom to the Texas Rangers for their backup catcher, Jose Trevino. Trevi has become the primary starter in a platoon with Kyle Higashioka, vastly upgrading the defense behind the plate, and while not known for his bat, he has knocked in a few game-winning hits. 

Jose Trevino (Photo Credit: AP)

We know the story with Abreu. The Rangers designated him for assignment and traded him to the Kansas City Royals. The Royals DFA’d him, and he found his way back to the Bronx via waivers before the end of last season.  Robby Ahlstrom is in the High-A minors for the Rangers organization, representing the only loss to get Trevi. 

The lone trade win for Cashman during the past year.

July 27, 2022

The Yankees finally made an upgrade in left field when they acquired Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals for RHP Chandler Champlain, LHP T.J. Sikkema, and RHP Beck Way. Unfortunately, just as Benny was getting comfortable in Pinstripes, he broke his hamate bone and never played for the Yankees again. He signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox in the offseason. 

Sikkema and Way are currently playing for the Royals’ Double-A affiliate, while Champlain is in High-A. 

I liked Benintendi and I wanted the Yankees to re-sign him, but this trade failed. 

August 1, 2022

Right-handed reliever Scott Effross was somewhat of a surprise when he was acquired from the Chicago Cubs for RHP Hayden Wesneski. Wesneski, along with former Yankees prospect Ken Waldichuk, was viewed by most to be the best two starting pitchers in the Yankees’ farm system. If Wesneski was moved, I always thought it would be part of a package for a proven Major League starter. So, for a reliever was a bit of a letdown, at least for me.

Effross proved to be a better reliever than expected and if he had stayed healthy, this trade might be viewed as a win. But alas, Effross required offseason Tommy John Surgery and will not resume his Yankees career until sometime next year.  Wesneski is currently in the Cubs’ starting rotation.  Given the dearth of starting pitching for the Yankees, Wesneski might have helped.

Cashman loses this trade.

August 1, 2022

Luis Castillo was the number one starting pitching target for most Yankees fans, but he proved to be cost-prohibitive. We will never know what the Yankees offered or were asked for, but it is assumed it was too much. In retrospect, was it? The Yankees paid heavily to acquire the second-best option in RHP Frankie Montas, along with left-handed reliever Lou Trivino, from the Oakland Athletics for LHP Ken Waldichuk, LHP J.P. Sears, RHP Luis Medina (probably the guy I was most sorry to see go), and 2B Cooper Bowman.

We know the story with Montas. He arrived hurt and was a shell of the player he had been earlier in the season for the A’s. Following offseason surgery, he is out for most if not all of the current season. Same with Trivino, who underwent Tommy John surgery this week.

Regardless of what happens with the quartet of prospects sent to the A’s, this trade is a colossal failure for Cashman. He gave up reasonable prospects for what has proven to be nothing. A little more creativity and he might have been able to secure a better, more reliable option for the starting rotation.

August 2, 2022

Sending Joey Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers was a needed trade. Clearly, Gallo had worn out his welcome in New York among the fanbase. A great guy…I will always be convinced he was a strong influence in the clubhouse with his personality and wit, but unfortunately, the on-the-field performance led to his unrecoverable downfall. 

The biggest surprise is that Cashman received a quality prospect for Gallo. I have heard that RHP Clayton Beeter, a starter in the minor leagues, is destined for the bullpen when/if he reaches the Majors. However, regardless of what his future holds, he is legitimately better than I expected. Beeter is currently pitching for the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate and has an outside shot to reach the Majors by the end of the season. If not this season, then next year.   

The Yankees could have received a lesser prospect for Gallo, and the trade would still be called a win for Cashman. Gallo simply had to go.

August 2, 2022

Trading LHP Jordan Montgomery to the St Louis Cardinals will always be a head-scratcher. Centerfielder Harrison Bader, when healthy, is a great player. I like having him on the Yankees, and I am hopeful his stay extends beyond the length of his current contract. But in trading Montgomery, the Yankees were not exactly dealing from a position of strength. They needed another starter when they made the trade and have subsequently needed more quality starters.

I will give this trade a ‘no-decision’ which could tilt in the Yankees’ favor if Bader helps the team win the World Series. Yet, it seems like the Yankees could have figured out a way to get Bader without giving up Montgomery. For as good as Bader played in the playoffs, I thought Montgomery’s loss from the clubhouse harmed the team for weeks after the trade (the psyche of the team was adversely impacted) and it may have contributed to their struggles late in the year and early exit from the playoffs. 

December 28, 2022

LHP Lucas Luetge was shipped to the Atlanta Braves for prospects SS Caleb Durbin and RHP Indigo Diaz. Durbin is currently in High-A and Diaz is in Double-A. 

Luetge served a decent role for the Yankees, but the trade was indifferent for me so I will have to give Cashman credit for picking up a couple of lottery picks for a journeyman pitcher. Many teams are routinely successful at reassembling their bullpens every year, and the Yankees are better than most. The performance of a reliever seems to be the most like a roller coaster ride to any position I have seen in my years of watching baseball. 

None of the trades above, except the acquisition of Jose Trevino, can be viewed as an outstanding trade. Gallo and Voit were throwaways and the players received for them were less than the prospects the Yankees gave up acquiring them.

The Yankees ignored the elite free agent shortstops the past several years, and they passed on generational talents like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. If they had a better track record with trades or a stronger record for producing homegrown Major League talent, it would be understandable to forego the multi-millions it would have taken to bring additional superstar talent to New York. Sadly, it seems we are caught in a loop that will continue to produce flawed regular seasons and disappointing October results. I know the season is young, but the Yankees are currently ten games behind the attendance-challenged Tampa Bay Rays.

Sometimes a team needs a new voice. The Yankees brought in high-powered executives to help Cashman when they hired former Giants GM Brian Sabean and former Mets GM Omar Minaya this past offseason, yet their presences have yet to materialize (at least from the outside looking in). It just seems like the same old stagnant Yankees Front Office.

Brian Cashman

I have long been a proponent for moving Cashman to President of Baseball Operations and hiring a new General Manager. Whether Cashman stays or goes, the Yankees need a new voice in the room. A voice that can make the best decisions for today’s New York Yankees and the teams for the coming years. We are the New York Yankees so we should have the best that money can buy. 

I like Brian Cashman. He was the right man at the right time when he was hired. Times change. It is not a personal attack on Cashman when I say the Yankees need a new general manager. Sports management in all sports…generally speaking…tends to have a short shelf life. Longevity stifles creativity.

If the Yankees fail this season, Hal Steinbrenner needs to carefully reevaluate both his manager and general manager, recognize their shortcomings, and cut his losses. There have been many similar quotes, but I will use one by Tony Robbins. “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

I am ready for another New York Yankees World Series Championship. 2009 is a distant memory. The Yankees need to refresh our memories for what it feels like to see, hear, and taste Pinstriped success in the season’s last and grandest series of all.  Hal Steinbrenner needs to make the decisions that help propel the Yankees forward. It is what Daddy would have wanted, after all. 

As always, Go Yankees!

Headed to Cleveland in Search of Wins...

 

Aaron Boone / Photo Credit: Seth Wenig, AP

Momentum favors the Game 3 Winner…

And then they were tied… So much for home field advantage. The New York Yankees lost ALDS Game 2, disappointingly and with way too many men left on base (eleven), as the Cleveland Guardians tied the series at one game apiece with the 4-2 victory.

Whether you believe bringing Jameson Taillon into the game in the tenth inning was right or wrong, he was not the reason the Yankees lost the game. I really thought the stage was set in the eighth inning when Giancarlo Stanton walked, and the Yankees inserted Tim Locastro to run for Stanton. A stolen base by Locastro, and subsequent walks of Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa sandwiched around a strikeout by Oswaldo Cabrera had the bases loaded with two outs. Kyle Higashioka had the opportunity to be the star of the show (really wanted Spring Training Higgy in that moment), but he lined out to end the threat.

I get the decision to pull Stanton for the speedy Locastro in that situation, but Manager Aaron Boone’s decision to allow Locastro to bat against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase in the bottom of the tenth, trailing by two runs, was a bonehead move. As much as I have been down on Aaron Hicks, this was the time I would have preferred Hicks to take the swings against Clase. Not one of Boone’s finer moments. It felt like a ‘tossing in the towel’ moment.

Oh well, the Yankees need to regroup quickly for Game 3 in Cleveland later today. The Yankees need to win at least one of the two games in Cleveland to get the series back to Yankee Stadium for a potential Game 5, but I would prefer a sweep in Cleveland to end it there. A sweep by the Yankees, not the Guardians, as if I needed to say that.

Friday was not a good day for any of the favorites. Both NL’s remaining 100+ win teams lost. The defending champions, the Atlanta Braves, were hammered by newly named permanent manager Rob Thomson’s Philadelphia Phillies, 9-1, and the Los Angeles Dodgers (who won 110 games in the regular season) lost a close one to the San Diego Padres, 2-1. Their circumstances are more dire than the Yankees as both of those teams trail their respective series, two games to one. The Phillies and Padres could advance to the NLCS today with victories. For the Dodgers, it would be 110 wins and all they got was this lousy t-shirt.

Hopefully, the Yankees can win today so they do not have their proverbial backs to the wall. Luis Severino is on the mound, but he will face Cleveland’s outstanding young Triston McKenzie. It does not seem like there will be very many runs scored today. If the Yankees can cross the plate more times than the Guardians, all will be good in the Yankees Universe. A loss will most certainly send anxiety through the fanbase.

The booing of Aaron Judge does not help. I realize some fans may be frustrated with Aaron Judge. Seven strikeouts in eight plate appearances can lead to nicknames like Mr. May, but after Judge’s season, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. I would rather take my chances with than without Judge. If anything, Judge needs our support and our belief that he can produce when the stakes are the highest. The boos at Yankee Stadium and the rips on social media serve no purpose. If you want to create an environment where Judge feels he might be better appreciated in other markets and fan bases, keep it up. We need Judge today, tomorrow, and next year.

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: Frank Franklin II, AP

As for Judge’s pending free agency, Jon Heyman of The New York Post polled four agents this week, and they predicted Judge’s next contract will be:

• $350 million, $400 million maximum.
• $315 million to $360 million.
• Eight x $37.5 million for $300 million.
• $300 million ($277 million with deferrals).

I do think the contract will be north of $300 million but the question will be how high the Yankees will go. I cannot say I am overly confident the Yankees will retain Judge. They need him, he needs the Yankees, and I do believe that his legacy would be the strongest by staying in Pinstripes. Somehow, the thought of Judge playing in San Francisco with games playing when most of the East Coast is headed for bed will leave him as an afterthought in the minds of many. Judge’s value to the Yankees cannot be underestimated. I hope the Yankees ensure he remains a Yankee and he becomes the next Captain. The NFL has the franchise tag they can place on pending free agent superstars. The MLB may not have one, but it is clear Aaron Judge is the franchise player for the current New York Yankees and deserves to be paid like it. I am excited about the Yankees playing October baseball, but it is hard to deny the sickening feeling that these may be Judge’s final days wearing baseball’s greatest uniform.

Hal, pay the man.

Better news on the injured front. It is premature to think about the ALCS since the Yankees need to win the ALDS first, but it was promising to hear Aaron Boone say Andrew Benintendi, Frankie Montas and Ron Marinaccio will be working out in Tampa under live game conditions to prepare their potential readiness for the next round.

A healthy, producing Benintendi may have been the difference-maker in yesterday’s game. Watching Matt Carpenter strike out in his pinch-hit appearance yesterday shows that return does not always result in immediate success, but I am hopeful Benny can help next round if the Yankees make it. I know Oswaldo Cabrera has done a superb job, but I would rather see the Yankees re-sign Benintendi to play left field next season and use Cabrera in the super-utility role. But I digress, I think Benny can help this year if he is given the opportunity.

Andrew Benintendi / Photo Credit: Sarah Stier, Getty Images

I am indifferent about Montas. He will not start, and I am not certain how effective he can be as a reliever. He seems like a ‘better luck next year’ candidate.

The Yankees need a healthy Marinaccio. Using starters in unfamiliar relief roles underscores the current state of the Yankees pen. Getting back one of their best relievers would be huge for the Yankees in the next round…if they make it.

Hall of Fame Closer passes away. I was saddened to hear the news of Bruce Sutter’s passing yesterday, While Sutter, 69, is probably best remembered for helping the St Louis Cardinals win the World Series forty years ago, I will always think of him as a Chicago Cub. Growing up in the Midwest in the 70’s meant watching a lot of Cubs games on TV, and Sutter stood out with his split-fingered fastballs.

Bruce Sutter

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred issued the following statement: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Bruce Sutter, whose career was an incredible baseball success story. Bruce ascended from being a nondrafted free agent to the heights of baseball by pioneering the split-fingered fastball. The pitch not only led him to the Major Leagues, but also made him a Cy Young Award winner with the Cubs and a World Series champion with the 1982 Cardinals. …Bruce will be remembered as one of the best pitchers in the histories of two of our most historic franchises. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Bruce’s family, his friends and his fans in Chicago, St. Louis, and Atlanta and throughout our game.”

Sutter always makes me think of the late Bobby Murcer since both were my favorite Cubs on those late 1970s teams. Not sure why I was never a Cubs or Cardinals fan, but the pull of the Yankee Pinstripes was too strong. Nevertheless, Sutter’s loss hurts. May he rest in peace.

The end of Aroldis Chapman’s Yankees career. Good riddance. I cannot say that I have ever seen a player bail on his teammates like Chapman did when he missed a mandatory workout prior to the start of the ALDS and the announcement of the team’s roster for the series. I was ready for the Yankees to designate Chapman for assignment in September as I had lost any trust or confidence in him despite some sporadic success. However, his behavior prior to the ALDS was inexcusable and unacceptable. Just when you thought Chapman could not set the bar lower, he does.

Aroldis Chapman

The Yankees took a chance on Chapman when other teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, would not. Despite their efforts, Chapman bailed on the Yankees because his feelings were hurt over the possibility of being left off the ALDS roster. In a way, I am glad Chapman made the decision easy for the Yankees. While there is a chance that he could be activated for the ALCS…if they make it…I hope not. I am done with Chapman and look forward to the end of his Yankees contract soon.

Scott Effross, we hardly knew ye. Unlike Chapman, I was saddened to learn Scott Effross would not make the ALDS roster but was stunned by the further news he needs Tommy John surgery. A torn ulnar collateral ligament most likely means that we will not see Effross on the mound again until 2024. He is under Yankees control until 2028 so it is not like we will never see him in Pinstripes again, but this is a sad way to lose Effross for the near future. Here is hoping for a quick and successful return to good health for Effross and his arm.

Scott Effross

I wonder if this means the end for Chad Green. He is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the year. The Yankees historically do not wait around for Tommy John recipients on expiring contracts. Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda stand out as recent examples. Someone will sign Green to a two-year minor league contract to allow time for recovery. Maybe it is the Yankees, maybe it is not. The Yankees cannot tie up multiple 40-man roster spots for guys out for extended periods.

As always, Go Yankees!

 

“We play today, we win today, das it…”

--Former Yankees second baseman Mariano Duncan

Yankees Playing Well Enough to Lose...

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: David Carson, St Louis Post-Dispatch

Yankees loss third consecutive game…

Remember when the Yankees were seemingly winning every day, drawing comparisons to the 1998 Yankees and the 2001 Seattle Mariners? Times have changed. Look, I get the Yankees have managed to hold on to a double-digit lead in the AL East since they became a .500 club. Well, that is being generous. They have been less than a .500 club since they lost to the Houston Astros, 2-1, on June 30^th. Since that game, the Yankees are 14-17. Yet, the second-place Toronto Blue Jays, perhaps the biggest threat in the AL East, remain 10 ½ games behind. The Yankees no longer have the best record in baseball and the Astros are within a half-game of leaping over the Yankees for best record in the American League.

The Yankees controlled last night’s game in St Louis until Clay Holmes, brought into the game in the eighth inning to face the heart of the Cardinals order, blew the save which allowed the Cardinals to squeak by the Yankees, 4-3. 

Clay Holmes / Photo Credit: AP

I am concerned. Everyone seems to be looking ahead to October as if it is a given right. I have no doubt the Yankees will make the playoffs, but this team, if they cannot shake the current inconsistent play, does not have the chance going against the AL’s best when the post-season competition begins. I want to win the World Series this year. The window is open, and we do not know the future. We are not even sure if Aaron Judge will be a Yankee next season. I think and hope he will be, but until he signs the dotted line, there are no guarantees. The Dodgers hit a bumpy path earlier this summer, but now they have won six consecutive games and nine of their last ten to grab the best record in MLB (73-33). To assert their dominance, they crushed their division rival last night, the San Diego Padres, 8-1, despite San Diego’s anointment as the Trading Deadline Champions for their acquisitions of baseball’s best closer and a 23-year-old mega-superstar outfielder. Things are going so well for the Dodgers; new Dodger Joey Gallo has had a hit in both games he has played for them. The Yankees (70-37) need to go on one of those type of runs to right the ship.

I get that the weight of the Pinstripes can be heavy. Too often, new players struggle until the breakout game arrives…if it arrives. Andrew Benintendi had a .320 batting average when he was acquired from the Kansas City Royals and has seen it drop to .305. He did not get his first extra-base hit until last night.  Meanwhile, new Astro Trey Mancini three home runs and seven RBIs in four games for Houston. Even former Yankee Brandon Drury made a huge first impression with his new club, the Padres, by hitting a grand slam in his first game.  Matt Carpenter has been great, but I wish the other newcomers could assert their presence sooner than later. 

I am not sure what to think about closer Clay Holmes. He no longer has that sense of invincibility. It seems like when he has an off night, he is awful like last night. He shows us why Pirates fans laughed at the Yankees when they acquired him last year. He can do better; we have seen it. He needs to find it again and become the dominant reliever he was earlier in the season.  I never thought I would want to see a return of Aroldis Chapman to closing duties, but those thoughts are starting to seep into my mind. Chapman has looked better lately. Not sure I fully trust him yet, but with each Holmes implosion, Chapman crosses your mind. Zack Britton cannot get back soon enough. We know with certainty that Wandy Peralta is not built for closing duties.  Lou Trivino was Oakland’s closer this year, but he did not exactly inspire confidence in the role. The Yankees will continue struggle until the bullpen can figure things out. The reliance for comeback wins, which worked in the season’s first half, is not a sustainable strategy.   

I was happy to see Giancarlo Stanton win MVP for this year’s All-Star Game in his hometown of Los Angeles but given that we have not seen him play since then makes you question why he went to the All-Star Game. In retrospect, it feels selfish. I know the Yankees are overly conservative with injuries and there has not been much discussion about Stanton, but there is no question, his absence is contributing to the team’s current lackluster play. Maybe the injury unexpectedly worsened which was probably the case but still, he should have just taken the time off to recover from the season’s bumps and bruises rather than play in the meaningless All-Star Game. He is too valuable to the team.

I wish I knew the answer to the team’s current malaise. Manager Aaron Boone must find a way to inspire the team to more wins than losses. They need a “slumpbuster”. The term always reminds me of when former Chicago Cub/Arizona Diamondback first baseman Mark Grace went on Jim Rome’s show in 2003 and proclaimed, “A slumpbuster is when you have to take one for the team. It’s finding the biggest, nastiest, fattest broad, and you put the wood to her to come out of your slump. Also known as ‘jumping on a grenade for the team’”. Not sure who needs to take one for the team. The most obvious choices, Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge are married, so maybe the burden of responsibility falls on the lofty shoulders of bachelor Giancarlo Stanton. I mean, you must leave no stone unturned. End the slump and get back to your winning ways, Yankees. 

The Trade Deadline. I was pleased when the Yankees acquired left fielder Andrew Benintendi (even if he has yet to find his stroke as a Yankee). It may have been better to get Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs, but the Cubs ended up keeping their outfielder. Benintendi is going to need to hit, but if he does, he will be an improvement over Joey Gallo. I am sad about Gallo. I really liked the guy, and felt he was a great teammate and clubhouse factor. His performance at the plate was abysmal and there is no question he needed a change of scenery. New York is not for everybody. Now, I just need Benintendi to start hitting like that pest he was in Yankee Stadium as a Red Sock. 

Andrew Benintendi / Photo Credit: Mike Stobe, Getty Images

Gallo, with the start of a heavy beard upon his arrival in Los Angeles this week, gets a fresh start with the Dodgers. I thought Gallo would do better in a less-pressurized environment, but then again, the pressure of a Los Angeles crowd is not as intense as a New York crowd. Maybe the Southern California lifestyle will help Gallo relax and hit bombs. I thought the Yankees did well to recoup a decent prospect in pitcher Clayton Beeter, who immediately became the tenth best Yankees prospect according to MLB.com. After dealing away pitching prospects at the deadline, the Yankees needed a solid arm in return.  Beeter may be headed for a future in the bullpen but for those who demanded the immediate release of Gallo over the past few weeks, this is the reason you do not simply cut a guy who still has some value.  Sucks that we will have to face Glen Otto, Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver, and Josh Smith in Texas, but “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. Hopefully the trade works out well for both the Yankees and Dodgers.

Joey Gallo

It was disappointing to miss out on Cincinnati Reds starter Luis Castillo who went to Seattle. I thought Castillo would be a perfect fit for the Yankees. The Mariners paid a high price. There was no way the Yankees were going to part with Anthony Volpe, nor should they. Oh well, life sucks and you move on. The Yankees did well to pivot to Frankie Montas of the Oakland A’s.  I already watch James Kaprielian perform for the A’s and now we must watch Ken Waldichuk. Liked both of those guys as prospects. BUT, getting Montas was needed. No complaints with doing what it took to bring him to the Bronx. I look forward to his Yankees debut on Sunday against the Cardinals.  With the Yankees’ interest in Montas rumored for so long, it felt like it would never happen. Would have preferred Castillo but I will certainly not complain about Montas. I am glad he is in the Yankees rotation.

The Yankees acquired a reliever from the Chicago Cubs. After much speculation about whether another reunion with Cubs reliever David Robertson was in the cards, the Yankees grabbed promising reliever Scott Effross, complete with his funky underhanded delivery. D-Rob ended up with another reunion, returning to the Joe Girardi-less, Rob Thomson-managed Philadelphia Phillies. I kind of hoped for a D-Rob reunion, but I get the controversy about his role in denying playoff shares to certain members of the team a few years ago. Effross was a nice addition for a team that needed bullpen help after losing Michael King for the season.

But the trade that caught most of us by surprise was the stunning trade of LHP Jordan Montgomery to the St Louis Cardinals. I understand the need to get a quality center fielder, but Harrison Bader is on the Injured List with plantar fasciitis and will not be able to help until September at the earliest.

Matt Carpenter & Harrison Bader / Photo Credit: Ron Schwane, Getty Images

Montgomery never seemed to get run support, but he was always a consistent performer in the rotation, so his loss neutralizes the addition of Montas somewhat. Montas is the better pitcher, no doubt, but the staff is weaker without Monty. Especially since the top pitching prospects in the organization (Ken Waldichuk and Hayden Wesneski were traded away in deadline deals). I am not a fan of Domingo German. I could not care less that there are no proven facts. Character matters and he fails the test for me. The only sunlight for me is stretching out Clarke Schmidt in Triple A for future Major League starts.  Schmidt over German. The sooner the better. After Schmidt, the rotation insurance becomes cloudier.  The opener strategy would probably reinsert its ugly head. 

I am not sure that I understand the Montgomery trade. If it is about October and the belief that Montgomery would not be part of the playoff roster and the need for a superior center fielder was greater, I get it. But we need to win the division first. For me, it is a little hard to think about October since there is a milestone that must be reached before we can get there. There are reports the Yankees had tried to acquire Pablo Lopez of the Miam Marlins. I doubt Cashman made the Montgomery deal thinking he had Lopez in hand. Cash has been doing this too long to take anything for granted. Still, the trade was puzzling to the less informed like me. I am sure Cashman has his plan and he is sticking to it. He is better at this than you or I.  I look forward to Bader’s first appearance in Pinstripes and hope the New York native can show us why the Cardinals fans loved him so dearly.  I like the idea of keeping Aaron Judge in right and Aaron Hicks out of centerfield so no qualms about a quality centerfielder if he can get healthy enough to play effectively. 

As for Monty, I am sorry it ended. I appreciated his time as a Yankee. He never had any of those overly dominant games like Hiroki Kuroda could occasionally provide but for the most part, he was consistent and consistency counts. I think he will do well in St Louis, and he should prosper.  Time will tell if it was the right move. As for today’s game, Monty’s first post-Yankee start, I hope the Yankees can finally score runs when Montgomery is on the mound. I wish Monty much success…just not today.

Jordan Montgomery / Photo Credit: Getty Images

Meet Me in St Louis. I would love to be in St Louis for this weekend’s series against the Cardinals. St Louis, from a Major League baseball standpoint, has huge significance for me even though I’ve been a Yankee fan since I was a kid. I grew up in the Midwest…in Iowa, not far from the Field of Dreams. Years ago, I lived in Dallas and one of the afternoon Sports Radio hosts always said if you lived in a state with no Major League team, you were a free agent and could choose your favorite team anywhere. I am not sure why I never became a Cardinals fan. Reading books about Lou Gehrig as a little kid and worshiping Jim “Catfish” Hunter led me to the Yankees.  Once a Yankee fan, Thurman Munson quickly became my favorite player and I have been forever hooked. 

As a kid growing up in Iowa, there were three MLB teams that had a heavy influence in my area of southeastern Iowa. The Cardinals, the Chicago Cubs, and the Minnesota Twins. During my teenage years, there were times that the only baseball games on the radio I could get were Twins games (during Rod Carew’s heyday). My stepfather was a die-hard Cardinals fan which probably accounts for why I could not embrace the Cardinals. Still, my first Major League Baseball game was in the old Busch Stadium in St Louis. My stepfather took me on a road trip to see the game (St Louis was about three hours from my home).

May 29, 1974. Los Angeles Dodgers versus the St Louis Cardinals at the old Busch Stadium. Just a baseball game to me at the time. Looking back, it was a game that featured future Yankee great Tommy John pitching for the Dodgers against the legendary Bob Gibson. Holy crap! What that matchup would mean to me today if I had only known. Joe Torre was the Cardinals’ first baseman that day. As a kid with a weak bladder, I had to make a pit stop at the bathroom when I heard the radio call of Ron Cey’s home run for the Dodgers, the only home run of the game and I did not get to witness it “live”.

On the way back to my seat and my stepfather, I saw a few people crowded around an older gentleman and decided to check it out. Much to my surprise, it was Hall of Famer Stan “The Man” Musial. I was able to shake his hand and get his autograph. He was such a genuinely nice man to meet, at least from my perception as a young child. I can only equate meeting Don Mattingly as a celebrity who was “down to earth” and incredibly personable as Musial was that day. I am not sure I fully understood and appreciated the magnitude of meeting Stan “The Man” at the time, but I am forever grateful I had the opportunity to meet him.

Stan "The Man" Musial / Photo Credit: AP

The Dodgers won the game, 5-2. I see so many people who say you can only love one team, but I have always had an “NL Team” despite my love for the Yankees. Rest assured; Yankees are above all. Always and forever. The Cardinals were my first favorite NL Team through my childhood experiences and despite my stepfather’s affection for them. Later, living in the Bay Area, I changed to the San Francisco Giants, but when Joe Torre took over as the Dodgers manager and brought Don Mattingly with him, I switched my allegiance to the Dodgers, and they remain my NL team and most likely will through the duration of my life. I live in the greater Los Angeles area, so I feel pretty locked in with the Dodgers at this point. Well, at least when they are not playing the Yankees.

Back to the 1974 Cardinals-Dodgers game, it is funny with so many legendary names on the field, the one player that stood out to me, and someone who I loved during his Cardinals career, was the Mad Hungarian, Al Hrabosky. In his prime, I do not think I have ever been as fired up to see a reliever than Hrabosky after his antics on the mound. Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer ever. Undisputed fact. But the adrenaline and energy that Hrabosky could invoke when he was on the mound was far greater than anything I have ever experienced in life. 

Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky

In May 1974, I was not a Yankee fan yet. At the time, I was an Oakland A’s fan due to my love of Catfish Hunter. The end of the year would bring change. Catfish signed with the Yankees on December 31, 1974. I had affection for the Yankees through the books I had read about Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth so when Catfish signed his Yankees contract, I went with him. My stepfather hated the Yankees so that was probably added motivation. In all due respect, my stepfather was a good man. He treated my mom right, and it was a sad day when we lost him a few years ago. But as a kid, he was replacing a man that I worshiped (my dad) who had died much too young a few years earlier so the deck was stacked against him.

Kind of a roundabout way to explain the meaning watching the Yankees play in St Louis. I think if circumstances had played out differently, it is very possible that I would be a St Louis Cardinals fan today. No offense to Cardinal fans, but I prefer the Yankees path I took. 

As always, Go Yankees!